The ISAF aces
by yellow 14
Summary: Companion piece to the Erusian aces. The biographies of eighteen ISAF aces downed by the Yellow squadron.
1. Captain Natasha Zubov

Disclaimer: If I owned Ace Combat, do you really think I'd be writing fanfiction?

AN: This name was suggested by the writer mercenaryflyer. Thanks for the name. This chapter was actually finished a few weeks ago, but I had difficulty putting together the final chapter of the Erusian Aces and I didn't want to start this fic when I hadn't finished the other one.

Captain Natasha Zubov. Controversial ace from Yuktobonia

Captain Natasha Zubov's military career began on 2/1/1994 when she joined the Yuktobonian air force. Selected for fighter pilot training, she was considered to be a solid, if unremarkable pilot. After completing her training, Natasha was posted to a squadron of Su-27 Flankers. Less than a month later, Yuktobonia entered the Belkan war. Natasha's squadron was a part of the relatively small air contingent that accompanied the Yuktobonian expeditionary force.

Sent to Duxford airbase, Natasha's squadron was assigned to act as escorts for the Tu-22M2 Backfire bombers as they attacked Belka's industrial centres. (Osean and Ustio forces lacked the opportunity to attack until much later.)

On her first mission, Natasha's flight was sent to intercept a flight of Belkan Mig 21 Fishbeds heading towards the bombers. Firing her R-77 missiles at a range of thirty miles, she downed all three Belkan fighters.

Over the course of the war, she was to down a further fifteen Mig 25 Foxbats, eleven Panavia Tornado ADV's and two SAAB J35 Drakens.

However on 29/5/1995 a group of Spetsnaz commandos operating deep in Belkan territory captured several documents that pointed towards a spy within the Yuktobonian air contingent. Captain Natasha Zubov was one of the pilots implicated. An investigation into the documents was due to start on the 6/6/1995, but it was postponed after the Belkan nuclear explosions that occurred earlier that day. The inquiry found that there was insufficient evidence against Natasha to warrant an investigation.

Captain Natasha left the Yuktobonian air force soon afterwards and set up a small mercenary company called the Lightening Strike group. The company was only one squadron big to begin with and the majority of its would be contracts frequently decided to go for bigger, more experienced companies, such as Axe and Hammer Precision Industries. Eventually however they were contracted to provide close air support for the Resar government forces against the terrorist organisation The Golden Blades.

The campaign was meant to be a simple clean up job, but the campaign took an unexpected turn when the terrorist organisation gained an aerial contingent, along with a number of pilots. This is believed to be the work of the mysterious division seven, however as details of the Erusian division seven are at best fragmentary, this only remains a theory.

Natasha's company rose to the challenge spectacularly. Captain Natasha herself was to down three Su-25 Frogfoot's and her squadron sucessfully destroyed the terrorist air force. The Resar government was so impressed by her companies performance that it paid her company a bonus payment amounting to 25% above the agreed upon price.

After that, business steadily improved and the company began to grow in size. Natasha decided to hand over running of the business to the board of directors, determined to stay in the frontlines.

As tensions between Erusia and its neighbours rose, the Resar government hired the Lightening Strike group to augment its air force. Captain Natasha Zubov's squadron (Flying F/A-18 Hornets) and two others (Flying F-16 Falcons and F-15 Eagles) were hired.

When the war broke out, the Resar forces were forced back by the huge numbers of Erusian forces crossing the border. Captain Natasha Zubov's squadron was flying almost constant air superiority missions against the numerically superior and well-trained Erusian air force. Captain Natasha was to down a further two F/A-18 Hornets during this time.

Shortly before the Erusian's captured Stonehenge, she encountered the Yellow squadron. She was flying top cover for a squadron of Resar F-111 Ravens, who were attacking an Erusian supply depot. Her squadron was bounced by the Yellow squadron and within minutes most of the squadron had been shot down. Natasha engaged Yellow 13 in a dogfight. Pulling a very tight loop, he pulled himself onto her tail and fired an R-73 missile up her tailpipe. She failed to eject and went down with her plane.

There is some argument as to whether she belongs on the list of ISAF aces as she never shot down enough planes during the Stonehenge conflict to qualify for the title of being an ISAF ace, however for the time being, she is classed as such.

Captain Natasha Zubov had short red hair and green eyes. Her friends describe her as being a difficult person to get to know and that she was obsessively tidy.


	2. Captain Alice Rachel

Disclaimer: Do I own the rights to Ace Combat? Only in my dreams. Sadly the reality is completely different.

AN: This one was suggested by Paintball Willie, thank you very much.

Captain Alice Rachel: Ace in training

Captain Alice Rachel's military career began on the 30/1/1995 when she joined the Osean Air Force. After basic training, she went on fighter pilot training, however losses from the Belkan war meant that her squadron was pushed into combat before they had completed their training.

Equipped with Bae Hawk advanced combat trainers, Alice and her squadron were assigned to defend the Edwards Air Force base on the border. Armed with two Sidewinder missiles and a 30mm cannon, the trainers were often facing hostile fighters that were both better-armed and flown by better-trained, more experienced pilots. In the first week after their deployment, Alice's squadron had suffered 85% casualties, an unacceptably high casualty level in any military operation.

But they were successful in keeping the Belkan strike fighters away from the base. Alice was to gain her first kill, a Belkan F-111 Raven on her first day of deployment. Flying a Combat Air Patrol, she spotted the Raven skimming the ground as it lined itself up for an attack on the base. Diving onto the enemy aircraft, she fired a Sidewinder missile at the Raven. The missile entered the left tailpipe of the aircraft and the aircraft spun into the ground. The crew, Lieutenant Karl Handle and Sergeant Hans Griber were able to eject and were sucessfully captured by base security.

She went on to down five more Raven's, two F-15E Eagles and one Tu-160 Blackjack.

Such devastating losses caused a scandal in Oured, especially as these pilots weren't even supposed to be on the frontline and the government ordered the remains of the squadron to be returned to their training base with immediate effect.

Completing the rest of her training in record time, Alice was posted to a squadron of F-16 Falcon's, this time flying close air support for the Osean army in the closing stages of the Belkan war. In this role, she was to down a further two A-10 Warthogs.

After her experiences in the Belkan war however, she left the Osean Air Force and became a civilian consultant to the North Point Air Force.

When the Stonehenge conflict began, she reluctantly joined the North Point Air Force and became an instructor for the newly formed ISAF. After the fall of Stonehenge, she was posted to a frontline squadron of F/A-18 Hornets as ISAF losses mounted.

Assigned to provide top cover for the retreating ISAF forces, she was to down a further six F-15C Eagles, four Tornado GR4's and nine AH-64A Apache's.

Her squadron was later sent to attack Stonehenge, shortly before the fall of Rigley airbase to the Erusian's. They were intercepted by the Yellow squadron and forced to abort the mission when the Yellow squadron bounced and downed seven of their fighters, leaving only five left. (ISAF military strategists at the time, believed that a minimum of eight fighters would be needed to put Stonehenge out of commission. It wasn't until the defection of the Stonehenge engineers that this fallacy was proven to be wrong.)

Captain Alice Rachel was pulled into a dogfight with Yellow 4. Pulling her plane into a tight circle, she was forced to turn into Yellow 5's sights as she turned to avoid a collision with another member of her squadron. Yellow 5, a Lieutenant Clarke Gray, fired his cannon and downed her aircraft. She sucessfully ejected from her aircraft and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp. After the war, she co-wrote the best-selling book Battling Yellows, a biography of Mobius One's career during the Stonehenge conflict.

Captain Alice Rachel is described as being difficult to work with and prone to diva tendencies. She has short, red hair, blue eyes and is 5 foot, two inches high.


	3. Sergeant Thomas Miller

Disclaimer: I might be crazy, but I'm not crazy enough to claim I own Ace Combat.

AN: For those of you who've forgotten, or not read the companion piece to this the Erusian Aces, Syar is one of the Usean countries.

AN2: Merry Christmas guys. Enjoy

Sergeant Thomas Miller: The Phoenix.

Sergeant Thomas Miller's military career began on 11/12/2004 when he joined the Syar air force. After basic flight training, he was recommended to fighter pilot training and was accepted for further training.

When the Stonehenge conflict began, he was still in training. Erusian bombers attacked the training facility he was at. Thomas was in the air at the time, flying a Hawk trainer that was carrying a central cannon pod for a live fire training exercise.

Pulling his aircraft steadily up, he silently pulled his plane up behind the last Tu-95 Bear in the bomber formation and fired his 30mm cannon, raking the bomber from top to tail. The bomber briefly shuddered under the force of the shells, but the failed to go down and Thomas's weapon was empty.

Less than a day later, his squadron was forced to abandon their base as Erusian forces overran it. As the Erusian forces continued to cut through the Syar defences with ease, his squadron was placed on active service and equipped with English Electric Lightning's and assigned to interception duties.

It was flying this aircraft that he obtained his first aerial victory. He was flying at 20,000 feet when he spotted a badly damaged Erusian F-15E Eagle flying below him at 11,000 feet. The aircraft had been damaged attacking Reaver airbase and was attempting to escape back to Erusian airspace without being seen.

Sergeant Miller dived at the Eagle and fired his two Firestreak missiles at the aircraft. One of the missiles failed to track the Eagle and hit the ground, but the second missile tore into the Erusian aircraft and destroyed it. The crew, Lieutenant Star Gable (pilot) and Lieutenant Kieran Magor were able to eject and were able to escape to Erusian forces.

Less than two days later however, the Erusian's overran the last of Syar's defences and his squadron became part of the newly formed ISAF command structure. This was formed to ease co-ordination between ISAF assets. ISAF member states retained control of their military forces and the ISAF high command organised the use of their assets.

It was at the battle for San Salvacion that his squadron was next deployed. Still flying Lightning's, the squadron was decimated flying against the superior Erusian forces. Sergeant Thomas Miller was one of only three pilots to avoid being downed. The other two pilots, Lieutenant Gary Broad and Lieutenant Frank Hooper were to later become aces in their own right. The squadron was withdrawn and re-formed, this time flying F-5E's.

During the following month, Thomas's squadron was assigned to provide tactical bombing duties to the retreating ISAF forces. During this time, he was to down a further six Mig 21 Fishbeds, four Mirage III's and one A-4 Skyhawk.

On the 30/8/2004, his squadron was intercepted and shot down by the Yellow Squadron with R-77 missiles at long range. Thomas was able to sucessfully eject from his aircraft and was captured by the advancing Erusian army.

For the majority of ISAF pilots, this was the end of their wartime career. Thomas was fortunate in that he was one of the few pilots sent to Stalag 15, near the Stov Nievra region.

On the 26/1/2005, the advancing ISAF forces liberated the camp. After a month long refresher course, he was posted to an F/A-18 Hornet squadron on the 1/3/2005.

His squadron was assigned to flying rhubarb sorties against Erusian supply lines, disrupting Erusian fuel supplies in particular. During the performance of these duties, he was to down a further four Mig 21 Fishbeds, two Su-27 Flankers, one Mi-8 Hip, two An-12 Cubs and two F-15C Eagles.

On the 2/4/2005, Thomas's squadron was one of several that were assigned to the attack on Stonehenge. Engaging the Stonehenge defenders, he down an F-16 Falcon at long range with an AIM-120 AMRAAM.

When the attack came to a close, the Yellow squadron engaged the ISAF planes. Thomas was engaged by Yellow 13 himself, who turned inside of Thomas's turning circle and used his cannon to chew up the fighter. Thomas failed to eject and went down with his fighter.

Sergeant Thomas Miller is described as a short, stocky young man, with a narrow face, blue eyes and vivid red hair. Easy going and with a self-depreciating sense of humour, he was an extremely popular pilot with his colleagues.


	4. Lieutenant Gordon Snape

Disclaimer: It's called FANFICTION for a reason. I don't think anyone reading this will be stupid enough to think I own Ace Combat. And as the pilot's tag line comes from a Colin Forbes book, I don't own that either.

Lieutenant Gordon Snape: The Janus man.

The precise date that Lieutenant Gordon Snape's military career began is, to this day, classified, but it has been narrowed to sometime within the year 2000. The main reason for this secrecy is that Snape was a member of MOSSARD, the Delarus islands military intelligence service.

On 21/5/2001, he joined the Erusian Air Force, under the name of Fred Potter. Recommended for fighters, he applied for the secretive Erusian Division Seven upon completing his fighter pilot training. Rejected by Division Seven, he was assigned to a squadron of Mig 21 Fishbeds on the border with San Savalcion.

When the Stonehenge conflict began, he was able to warn Delarus about the Erusian's intention to overrun and rule the Usean continent. This, in turn, was to pursuade the paranoid Delarus government to agree to join ISAF.

On the 30/8/2004, he was to obtain his first aerial victory. While flying a tactical bombing mission against ISAF forces defending Stonehenge, his squadron was attacked by a squadron of North Point Saab J35 Draken's. Sucessfully evading the first attack, he twisted his plane into a tight corkscrew manoeuvre, which placed him behind one of the attacking aircraft and fired his cannon. The enemy pilot, a Lieutenant Gary Drails sucessfully ejected and was rescued by ISAF ground forces.

His next aerial victory occurred less than thirty seconds later when he fired an R-60 AAM into the tail of one of the retreating Draken's. The pilot, Elizabeth Green failed to eject and went down with her plane.

During the Erusian's advance to the ocean. Snape was to down a further three Su-22 Fitters and one An-2 biplane.

On 15/9/2004, Erusian counter intelligence blew his cover, but he was able to escape and fly to North Point. With his cover blown, Lieutenant Gordon Snape was able to apply for a frontline posting, which was granted.

Posted to a squadron of F-4 Phantom II's, Snape's squadron was assigned to the aerial defence of North Point. Over the course of the next six weeks, he was to down eight Erusian Mig 21's and twelve Tu-95 Bears.

As the war swung steadily against the Erusian's, Snape's squadron was assigned to perform rhubarb sorties against Erusian forces. During this time, he was to down three Mi-8 Hip's and one C-130 Hercules.

On the 19/11/2004, his squadron was one of four to attack the Comberth oil refinery. During the attack on the refinery, an anti-aircraft gun severely damaged his aircraft's port engine and so when the Yellow squadron arrived, his aircraft proved to be unable to keep up with the other retreating ISAF fighters. Several ISAF pilots, including Mobius One, turned to assist his escape, but they weren't fast enough to save him from being chased down and destroyed by Yellow 13. Although he sucessfully ejected, he was never found and was declared missing, presumed dead. However, rumours about his continuing survival continue to circulate to this day.

Lieutenant Gordon Snape was 5-foot tall, with short, light blonde hair and green eyes. He is described as having sociopathic tendencies.


	5. Sergeant Mei Zhang

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

Sergeant Mei Zhang: The flying dagger

Sergeant Mei Zhang's military career began on 21/2/1994 when she joined the North Point Air National Guard (NPANG). Her regular job was that of a martial arts instructor. After basic training, she was recommended for fighters. After completing fighter pilot training, she was assigned to join her local squadron, composed of a mix of F-106 Delta Darts and F-102 Delta Daggers. Her aircraft was one of the few F-102 Daggers.

On 24/3/1995, the NPANG was placed on high alert as the Belkan forces continued to smash through the Ustio forces. There were concerns that the allied forces might attempt to use North Point's airspace to reach Belka and visa-versa. To enforce North Point's neutral position, the North Point forces increased their patrols and ANG units were placed on deployment. (During such times, ANG units were working full-time.) This was largely a political, rather than practical concern. North Point's position made passage impractical.

Although the conflict passed without incident, it apparently sparked a desire to become a fully-fledged member of the North Point Air Force, although this may have been merely a response to her recent and bitter divorce. With sponsorship from her commanding officer, Mei was able to sucessfully join the North Point Air Force on 3/1/1996.

After a brief period of training, Mei was assigned to a squadron of F-16 Falcons. Because of her ANG experience flying an F-102 Delta Dagger, she was assigned the callsign Dagger.

By 2004, she was still a sergeant. This was not because of her service record, which was unexceptional, but because of her refusal to accept promotion. Her reasons for refusing promotion are unclear, but it appears she had no desire for the extra responsibilities of a commission. When the Stonehenge conflict began, the North Point forces were placed on high alert, although the consensus was that the conflict would not reach North Point and would not involve the North Point forces.

After the Erusian's invaded San Salvacion though, it became clear that North Point was going to get involved, regardless of their determination to avoid involvement. North Point sent out an expeditionary force to San Salvacion to assist the newly formed ISAF. Sergeant Mei Zhang's squadron was one of two squadrons of F-16 Falcons sent out with them.

Her first aerial victory occurred on 2/8/2004 over the city of San Salvacion, defending the city from the invading Erusian forces. An Erusian C-130 Hercules was en route to drop airborne reinforcements to the advancing Erusian forces, flying in low to avoid detection. Zhang however noticed it as it started its drop. Pulling up behind it, Zhang fired a Sidewinder missile into its inner port engine, tearing the wing straight off.

Assigned to provide air cover to the retreating ISAF forces, she was to down eleven Mig 21 Fishbeds, eight F-5E Tiger II's and two F/A-18 Hornets over the course of the following month.

On the 18/9/2004, her squadron was assigned to airborne defence duties around North Point. In this role, she was to down one Su-27 Flanker and one F-4 Phantom II.

After the ISAF attack on Rigley, Mei's squadron was assigned to perform rhubarb sorties against Erusian targets on the mainland. In this role, she was to down a further three F/A-18 Hornets and one Mig-23 Flogger.

On the 19/11/2004, her squadron was one of the four squadrons to attack the Comberth oil refinery. During this mission, she downed an Mi-8 Hip and an F-16 Falcon. She was able to narrowly avoid being downed by the Yellow squadron as they chased her out of Erusian airspace.

On the 22/11/2004, she was to encounter the Yellow squadron for the second time during a rhubarb sortie against an Erusian fuel depot. As she was making her attack run, Yellow 4, who was on patrol at the time, bounced Mei as she pulled away from her attack. Two R-73 missiles hit Mei's aircraft and destroyed Mei's fighter. She sucessfully ejected from her aircraft and spent the rest of the war as a POW.

On the 20/9/2005, during the victory celebrations, Mei was hit and killed by a speeding car.

Sergeant Mei Zhang is described as having a narrow, Chinese face, with brown eyes and black hair. Her friends describe her as being an extremely introverted and quiet.


	6. Captain Nora Yale

Disclaimer: Ace Combat is an amazing game series that I DON'T OWN. Are we clear on that? Good.

AN: Mercernaryflyer suggested this pilot. I've changed the first name from Jordan to Nora. (After the first female commander of a US Navy Carrier Battle Group) Thanks for the idea.

Captain Nora Yale: Revolutionary pilot.

Captain Nora Yale's military career began on 21/5/1994 when she was joined the Belkan Naval Air Service. Due to her civilian experience as a stunt pilot, she was able to skip basic flight training and was posted to fighter pilot training.

After completing her training, Nora was posted to the Belkan aircraft carrier the Graf Spey flying F/A-18 Hornets alongside future Erusian ace Robin Faye. There were several rumours of a love affair between the two, however given Robin Faye's personality, this seems unlikely.

During the opening stages of the Belkan war, Nora's squadron was assigned to attack land based targets, while Robin's squadron was assigned to attack enemy shipping. On the 21/3/1995, Nora was to obtain her first aerial victory attacking the Ustio Capital Air Defence Base. An F-4 Phantom II fighter bounced one of her fellow pilots, but failed to see her aircraft flying above him. Diving towards her opponent, she fired an AIM-9 Sidewinder into the F-4's tailpipe, downing the fighter. The pilot, Lieutenant Lee Bramble was able to sucessfully eject along with his weapons system operator, Sergeant Kurt Trager.

As the Belkan war progressed, her squadron was re-assigned to anti-shipping duties and she was to gain no further aerial victories while serving on the Graf Spey. She was responsible for the sinking of the Osean cargo ship The Helping Hand. She also sunk six missile boats and one Ustio 'pocket carrier' the Dawn Treader, named after the famous Narnia book of the same name.

On the 31/3/1995, the Graf Spey was sunk by the Yuktobonian submarine Red October. Fortunately, the carrier was sucessfully evacuated before it sunk. The survivors were picked up less than two hours later by the missile frigate Bismark.

Now without a ship, Nora was assigned to another squadron of F/A-18 Hornets, primarily tasked with defending the airspace B7R, an area frequently referred to as 'The Round Table'. In this task, she was to down fifteen F-14 Tomcats, six A-7 Corsair II's and eleven F/A-18 Hornets. In her hometown, she became something of a local hero.

On the 28/5/1995, the allies launched operation Battle Axe, aimed at breaking Belkan air power in the region. The operation rapidly descended into a free-for-all dogfight over area B7R. Nora was able to down two F-4 Phantom II's and an E-2 Hawkeye, before being ambushed by the Yuktobonian ace Yuri Dashkov in an F-16 Falcon. (His callsign was Komyeta One.) As she pulled away from the flaming wreckage of the E-2 Hawkeye, he was able to bounce her aircraft with an AIM-120 AMRAAM at short range.

Ejecting from her aircraft, she was badly hurt, shattering both her legs. She was fortunately picked up by a squad of GSG-9 troops travelling through the region.

Unfortunately, Nora's legs had to be amputated. However, she was provided with a pair of experimental, artificial legs and after much pleading and campaigning, Nora was allowed to return to combat duties, this time flying an AV-8 Harrier. Before the end of the war, she was able to down a further three F/A-18 Hornets before the war ended.

With the end of the war, Nora was forced to leave the Belkan Naval Air Service. For the next four years, she worked as a civilian consultant to the North Point Naval Air Force. She was however able to eventually able to pursuade the North Point Naval Air Force to allow her to join as a fighter pilot, flying F/A-18 Hornet's once more.

By the time the Stonehenge conflict began, she had already earned the position of flight lead. As the Erusian's advanced across the mainland, Nora's squadron was assigned to fly tactical bombing missions from their carrier the Enterprise. In this role, she was to down eight F-4 Phantom II's, six A-6 Intruders and one F-35.

However casualties due to Stonehenge were high. By the time the ISAF pulled back to North Point, her squadron had been reduced to only four pilots. As the highest ranking surviving member of the squadron, Nora was promoted to Captain. The squadron was brought up to strength by freshly trained pilots and assigned to provide aerial defence for North Point. In this role, she was to down twelve F-4 Phantom II's, four A-6 Intruders and three A-7 Corsair II's.

Later, her squadron was to start launching offensive operations, including the attack on the Mount Shezna radar facilities, where she was to down an F-14 Tomcat. Her other victories during these missions included two AV-8 Harriers and one H-53.

On the 31/11/2004, Nora's squadron was assigned to defend the Comona Island Rocket Base after the Erusian's deployed fighters to anchor the flight. During this time, she was to gain a further two F-14 Tomcats. It was while she was downing the second F-14, that Yellow 4 pulled up behind her and fired an R-73 missile into her rear tailpipe. She sucessfully ejected from her plane, but sustained serious burns from her burning aircraft and was later deemed unfit for flying duties.

This was not the end of Nora's military career. She was able to assume command of a squadron of AV-8 Harriers, flying off of an emergency carrier, the George Bush. Emergency carriers were primarily aircraft carriers converted from civilian cargo ships to serve as aircraft carriers for escorting fellow cargo ships. Unpopular and with a host of technical problems and combat deficiencies, these emergency carriers provided much needed air support to ISAF convoys for the majority of the conflict.

By the time the conflict was finished, Captain Nora Yale had become the ships captain, thanks in part to her extra training in ship handling and thanks in part to her valour under fire.

With the war over, her ship was sold off as the victorious ISAF nations cut back their defence budgets and concentrated on rebuilding their countries.

Captain Nora Yale accepted a position as Captain of the newly commissioned River's Chance, a small aircraft carrier that was involved in anti-drugs operations.

Captain Nora Yale is five foot tall exactly and has curly blonde hair and green eyes, with a narrow face. Her personality is described as fierce and determined.

AN: Ok, to my American readers. I know I've stuck to using US Navy carrier aircraft here, but it is in acknowledgement of Rear Admiral Nora Tyson, who either is the first female commander of a Navy Carrier Battle group, or is about to become the first female commander of a Navy Carrier Battle group.


	7. Lieutenant Paul Collier

Disclaimer: If I owned Ace Combat, there would be an Ace Combat 7 out now. There isn't. Need I say any more?

Lieutenant Paul Collier: Penal battalion hero.

Paul Collier's military career began on the 19/6/2004, when he was conscripted into the Ricah air force for his compulsory, two-year national service. Because he held a pilot's license, he was assigned to a fighter squadron with only brief flight training.

When the Stonehenge conflict began, his squadron was flying Mig 21 Fishbeds. Despite the Ricah governments determination to avoid being drawn into the conflict, the Erusian forces crossed the Ricah border, Paul's squadron was deployed by his squadron commander, a Captain Pan Barring, against the advancing Erusian forces and was able to delay the Erusian's long enough for the Ricah government to declare war and organise their defences.

It was during this action that Paul was to obtain his first aerial victory. As he was attacking an Erusian convoy, he spotted an Mi-24 Hind A flying nearby. With his pass finished, he pulled his aircraft up and emptied the last of his cannon fire into the helicopter.

In the days that followed, he was to down a further two helicopters, one Mi-8 Hip and one AH-64 Apache.

Despite the fact that the actions of Paul's squadron saved the Ricah government from complete annihilation, the Ricah government refused to acknowledge that it had been in error to ignore the conflict and instead accused the squadron of forcing Ricah into the conflict. After a show trial, the squadron became a penal squadron and re-equipped with Mig-17 Fresco's.

Penal squadrons were given the worst operational equipment and assigned to the most dangerous operations. In theory, a pilot could earn a pardon if he survived a three month tour of operations on a penal squadron, but the commissars who were attached to the squadrons could (and frequently did) extend punishment tours for any offence. These offences included political disloyalty (This might include any grumbling that the pilots might do.), cowardice (again, an often ambiguous charge.) and absence of patriotism (This one was so open to interpretation, that it could be whatever the commissar chose it to be.).

Over the following month, the Ricah forces were forced to fall back in the face of the superior Erusian forces. Lieutenant Paul Collier's squadron experienced the hardest fighting, suffering approximately 85% casualties per mission. During this time period, he was to down one Mig 23 Flogger and one Tu-95 Bear.

Often faced with superior enemy aircraft, Paul and another pilot, Lieutenant Yuri Gardini decided to develop a series of tactics for dealing with their opponents. The notes for dealing with a Yellow squadron aircraft were simple. 'Run and pray!'

This comment was to cause another three months to be added to their punishment tour for 'absence of patriotism'. Still, the new tactics started to pay off during the ISAF retreat to North Point and the squadron's casualty rate dropped. Between this time and the time the ISAF retreated to North Point, he was to down an Su-22 Fitter and an F-5E Tiger II.

Once the ISAF forces reassembled on North Point, Paul's squadron was assigned to provide aerial defence to North Point. In this task, he was to down eight Tu-95 Bears and obtain two joint kills on Mig 21 Fishbeds. (This would not have been possible without the tactics developed by Paul and Yuri, but despite being recognised by several ISAF member states and by other penal squadrons, the Ricah government refused to acknowledge their achievements.)

On the 19/11/2004, his squadron was to fly their last mission with their Mig-17's against the Comberth oil refinery. He was to down a Ka-32 Helix which had been pressed into service by the Erusian's.

On the 21/11/2004 the squadron was re-equipped with Mig 21 Fishbeds. Because the Ricah government did not trust penal squadrons to not defect, the squadron remain on aerial defence duties. It wasn't until the 31/11/2004 that the squadron was to see action once more, this time defending the Comona Island Rocket Base.

Flying against superior Erusian fighters he was unable to obtain any further kills. As he evaded a missile from an Erusian Mig-29 Fulcrum, he flew into the sights of Yellow 4, who fired her cannon and downed his aircraft. Although he sucessfully ejected, he was never found and was declared missing, presumed dead.

It wasn't until the Ricah civil war in 2006 that he was seen again, flying Mig 29 Fulcrums for the military coup forces. Although accurate combat records are almost impossible to obtain from this time period, his enemies referred to him as Demon. This gives about as close an approximation to his skills and reputation during the civil war.

After the successful victory of the coup forces on 21/8/2008, he was offered the position of head of the air force, however he declined this position and disappeared. Rumours as to what happened to him continue to circulate to this day. There are several claims in recent years that he has been spotted in Estovakia, flying both for and against the faction known as 'The Generals'. None of these claims have been verified though and his fate remains a mystery.

Lieutenant Paul Collier is described as having short brown hair and red eyes, with a dour-looking face. His personality is described as both light-hearted and easy going, with a cynical sense of humour.

AN: After reading a story about a Soviet penal squadron, I couldn't resist using the idea. It did occur to me that not all the ISAF countries were necessarily democratic countries and I based the Ricah government off of the USSR. And the reason that you don't encounter ISAF Mig-17's is that they're always attacking the other target. (The real reason that you don't see them is that they're not there, but for the purposes of the plot, they're attacking the other target.)


	8. Captain Rebecca Pullman

Disclaimer: Do I own the Ace Combat universe? Only in my dreams. Sadly, dreams aren't reality.

Captain Rebecca Pullman: Tactic Bravo ace.

Captain Rebecca Pullman's military career began when she joined the Delarus Islands Navy Air Corp on 21/5/2000. After basic flight training, she was assigned to flying land-based Tornado GR4's.

During this time, her squadron was involved with several minor diplomatic incidents between the Delarus Islands and their belligerent neighbours, however, none of these events ever escalated into a combat situation and correspondingly she made no kills.

In early 2002 (The exact details have sadly been destroyed.) Rebecca was granted her request to transfer to the duties of an ASW Lynx helicopter pilot. After a six-month period of retraining, she took up her new post, flying off of the back of the missile frigate Goliath.

On the 14/3/2004 she was finally transferred to the Harrier training programme, having obtained the required experience to be allowed on the programme. (Harrier pilots were required to have experience on both fast jets and helicopters.) Passing her training with flying colours, she was transferred to one of the last Harrier FRS1 squadrons still in operational service. Flying from the Ark Royal, her squadron was one of the first squadrons to engage the Erusian air force.

On the 12/8/2004 she obtained her first aerial victory, utilising the tactic for which she would later become famous for, tactic bravo. As she released a cloud of chaff from her aircraft, she dropped vertically like a stone, perpendicular to the beam of the Mig 29 that had fired at her. This caused her to disappear from the Mig 29's radar, because of a little known flaw in the pulse-Doppler radar found on the Mig 29 Fulcrum. Her aircraft effectively became stationary relative to the sweep of the beam. Note that she wasn't stationary, only stationary relative to the sweep of the beam.

Pulling out of her dive at 5000 feet, she closed to within sidewinder range and fired. The Mig 29 Fulcrum was torn out of the sky. The pilot, Lieutenant Liam Volo went down with his fighter.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Rebecca downed a further three Mig 29's, one F-16 Falcon and one Harrier GR-7. However, the constant advances made by the Erusian's forced her carrier, the Ark Royal, to retreat to North Point.

As the ISAF forces were forced to retreat to North Point, her squadron was assigned to air defence duties against the Erusian bomber threat. In this role, she was to down several Tu-95 Bears and four Mig 21 Fishbeds.

After the attack on Rigley Airbase by Mobius One and his squadron, the attacks effectively stopped. With the bomber threat effectively nullified, ISAF took the initiative and started launching rhubarb sorties against the entrenched Erusian forces. Rebecca's squadron was one of the squadrons assigned to do so. It was during this time that she was to be downed for the first time.

It was a routine mission against a railway junction. Rebecca had just released her bombs onto the tracks and was climbing away when a burst of AAA fire knocked her fighter out of the sky. Sucessfully ejecting from her aircraft, she spent the next few weeks evading capture and heading back to ISAF forces. She was eventually picked up by an ISAF commando team and returned to North Point with them.

After a brief refresher course, she returned to her squadron, now equipped with the FA 2 variant of the Harrier. With the much-improved variant of the Harrier, she began flying rhubarb sorties once more. During these sorties, she was to down a further three F-16 Falcons and one Su-27 Flanker.

On 31/11/2004, her squadron was one of the many that were assigned to defend Comona Island Rocket Base. It was here that she was to down her most famous kill. Using the Harrier's impressive manoeuvrability, she out-turned her opponents Tornado F-3 and fired a sidewinder missile into his tailpipe, tearing the aircraft out of the sky. The pilot, a notorious Erusian ace named Captain David Phillips, sucessfully ejected and spent the rest of the war as a POW. His navigator, Lieutenant Ian Baslic also ejected, but suffered serious injuries and later died.

On the 12/12/2004 she finally encountered the Yellow squadron. Flying a particularly daring raid against San, Salvacion, her squadron was unfortunately bounced by the Yellow squadron. Her aircraft was hit by an R-73 missile fired by Yellow 11 and went down. She sucessfully ejected again and spent the rest of the war as a POW.

After the war came to an end, she was requited by the Osean Marine Corp to act as an instructor and advisor to the Osean Harrier fleet.

Rebecca is described as having ebony black hair and brown eyes, with a slightly Arabic skin tone. She is described as being a smart and idealistic young woman, with a passion for flying.

AN: I got the idea for this ace reading the book No Escape Zone, written by an ex-Harrier pilot. He described the use of Tactic Bravo and I decided to use it. (Yes it is real, it's his description I'm using as a basis.)


	9. Major Bobby Hoover

Disclaimer: I wish I did own Ace Combat, but sadly not. As for the pilot's tag line, that comes from the title of a Jet Lee film, which I don't own either. Oh well, enjoy.

Major Bobby Hoover: Kiss of the dragon.

Major Bobby Hoover's military career began when he joined the Ustio Air Force on 17/3/1995. Desperately short of pilots, the Ustio Air Force were happy to receive recruits from all over the world, including North Point. After receiving a clean background check, he was put through basic military training. As he had been a stunt pilot before joining the air force, he was put through fighter pilot training. After completing his training, he was transferred to a squadron of F-4 Phantom II's known as the Silver Dragons, flying aerial defence duties.

His first aerial victory occurred on the 21/5/1995, intercepting a Belkan bombing raid. Climbing to 30,000 feet, he dived onto the assembled group of Tu 95 Bear bombers, firing two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles into one of the bombers. (Owing to a technical fault with his radar, he was unable to use his AIM-7 Sparrowhawks) The missiles turned the bomber into a fireball and as he pulled his fighter away, an escorting Belkan Mig 21 Fishbed flew into his sights and he fired his cannon, tearing the enemy fighter from the sky.

For the following month, his squadron continued to fly aerial defence duties. In this role, he was able to down a further three Tu-95 Bears and two Mig 21 Fishbeds.

As the tide of the Belkan war turned in favour of the allied forces, his squadron was assigned to provide tactical bombing duties for the advancing allied forces. In this role he was to down a further six F-5E Tiger II's, one Mig 23 Flogger and two Mirage III's.

In recent years, with the declassification of the Avalon Dam attack, there have been many rumours that he was involved with the allied forces attack on the V2 facilities, along with rumours that he was a member of the organisation 'A world without boundaries'. As details about pilots involved with the attack are still classified, there are no means available to confirm this. What is known is that his aircraft was written off in a flying incident at the time.

After the war, he was recruited by the North Point Air Defence Force to act as an aerial combat instructor. Although he no longer flew for the Ustio Air Force, he continued to use the fire-breathing dragon motif painted on the side of his aircraft. As a result of his particular motif, his pupils came to refer to being 'downed' by him in training as 'being kissed by the dragon'.

When the Stonehenge conflict began, he requested a transfer to a combat unit. His request was denied and during the opening stages of the conflict, his repeated requests to join the conflict were turned down. It wasn't until after the ISAF's retreat to North Point that he was finally granted a posting to a frontline squadron, a squadron of F/A-18 Hornets.

Assigned to defend North Point from Erusian bombers, his squadron rapidly earned a reputation as an elite squadron. It was in this squadron where he met Lieutenant Mitchell Gorlan, a lifelong friend and fellow ace. Bobby downed eleven Erusian Tu-95 Bears, nine Tu-160 Blackjacks, four Mig-29 Fulcrums and eight F-15 Eagles during this time.

After the successful destruction of the Aeger fleet at Comberth harbour, his squadron was assigned to perform rhubarb sorties over Erusian held territory. In this role, he was to down eight Tornado F3's and nine F-16 Falcon's.

His first encounter with the Yellow squadron came on the 31/11/2004 over the Comona Island Rocket Base. It was here that he narrowly avoided being shot down by Yellow 4 and had Mobius One's missile not damaged her aircraft, it is likely that he would have been shot down. He did however down two F-14 Tomcats before he was damaged.

On the 14/12/2004, he was to encounter the Yellow squadron for the second and last time in his career. His squadron was performing a low-level attack on Erusian forces near the coast when the Yellow squadron bounced them. Yellow 6 fired an R-73 missile into the body of his fighter at close range from above and knocked his aircraft out of the sky. Although he successfully ejected from his fighter, his parachute failed to open and he fell to his death.

Major Bobby Hoover is described as having light blond hair, blue eyes and a strong chin. His colleagues describe him as an easy going and cheerful individual, with a particularly strong sense of humour.


	10. Lieutenant Sonea Glan

Disclaimer: Do I own Ace Combat? No, didn't think so.

AN: This pilot started out as an original concept story. It's been resurrected for this fic.

Lieutenant Sonea Glan: The refugee's revenge.

Lieutenant Sonea Glan's military career began on the 20/9/2004 when she officially joined the North Point Air Force. Although she had applied to join the air force sooner, her status as a refugee from the country of Salchion meant that it wasn't until the 3/10/2004 that she was finally given clearance to begin flight training.

In training she proved to be an exceptional pilot and was recommended for fighters. After passing her fighter pilot training, she was posted to a squadron of Mig 21 Fishbeds, flying aerial defence duties. On the 11/12/2004 she finally obtained her first aerial victory.

She was flying a standard combat air patrol when she spotted a badly damaged F-15E Eagle limping home below her. Diving hard, she fired an R-73 missile into the crippled fighter and brought it down. The crew, pilot Lieutenant Darrien McGonal and navigator Lieutenant Faith Connel sucessfully ejected and were captured by ISAF ground forces. They would later admit to being damaged by ground fire from their target and losing their radar capabilities. Sonea had been fortunate enough to encounter them in such a state.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Sonea was to down a further two Mirage III's, one F-5E Tiger II and two Mi-8 Hip's. Part of the reason for her success was the fact that she deliberately disobeyed standing orders and performed several unauthorised rhubarb raids against Erusian forces in the area of the Rigley Air Force Base, close to where her pre-war home had been. Despite repeated reprimands, she continued to fly these missions.

On the 28/11/2004, her squadron was re-equipped with Mig 29 Fulcrums. This proved to be fortunate, as three days later, Sonea was involved with the defence of the Comona Island Rocket Base, the single largest aerial confrontation of the conflict. Here she was to down a further two Tornado GR4's and one B-2 Spirit.

With the ISAF's invasion of the mainland now imminent, Sonea's squadron was assigned to flying rhubarb sorties against Erusian forces across the coast. The reasons for this were twofold. Firstly, to weaken Erusian forces in preparation for the ISAF's landings and secondly, to confuse the Erusian's as to where the landings would in fact take place. In this role, she was to down four Mig 31 Foxhounds, two Su-27 Flankers and the Erusian ace Renaldo Polikov in his F-16 Falcon.

On the 20/12/2004 she encountered Yellow 6, who was flying back from a sortie over the ISAF fleet. Sonea attempted to bounce Yellow 6 in the mistaken belief that Yellow 6 hadn't seen her. Yellow 6 twisted away just as Sonea fired her cannon. Twisting his aircraft around hard, Yellow 6 pulled his fighter up behind Sonea and fired an R-73 missile into her aircraft. She went down with her aircraft.

Shortly afterwards, her diary was discovered by ISAF. It revealed that she was in fact only sixteen when she joined the air force and used false documentation to be allowed to join. Further investigation revealed that she had been gang raped by a group of Erusian soldiers and she sought revenge in the air.

Lieutenant Sonea Glan is described as being a short girl, with a fierce determination and an aggressive temper. She had black hair and is described as having a narrow face and pale skin.


	11. Lieutenant Nguyen Kovaleski

Disclaimer: No I don't own Ace Combat. We clear on that?

AN: This pilot's name comes from the names of two fighter pilots from the Vietnam War. Mig 21 pilot Nguyen Van Coc of the 921st Regiment was the highest scoring Mig 21 ace of the war and is credited with nine victories. His name forms the first part of the pilot's name. The surname comes from Pilot Lieutenant Victor Kovaleski, the Phantom pilot who scored the final aerial victory of the Vietnam War. He was also the last American pilot to be brought down over North Vietnam.

Lieutenant Nguyen Kovaleski: The man with nine lives.

Lieutenant Nguyen Kovaleski's military career began on the 21/11/2003, when he was accepted into the North Point Air National Guard. Because of his experience as a stunt pilot in his civilian life, he was recommended and accepted for fighter pilot training. Completing his training, he was assigned to a squadron of Mig 21 Fishbeds.

When the Stonehenge conflict began, his squadron was placed on high alert and the squadrons training intensified. However, when North Point did join the conflict, Nguyen's squadron was assigned to aerial defence duties and he saw practically no action.

On the 19/9/2004, he finally obtained his first aerial victory. His squadron joined a group of ISAF F-4 Phantom II's at 20,000 feet and the AWACs plane Skyeye vectored their aircraft to intercept the bombers. Diving onto one of the fighter escorts, an F-4 Phantom II, he fired two R-73 missiles into the aircraft, which exploded in a fireball. The pilot, Lieutenant Gordon Sureesh and the weapons system operator, Lieutenant Karl Lambert, were both killed instantly. Shortly afterwards, he was to down a Tu-95 Bear as well.

Over the course of the next month, he downed a further two B-52 Stratofortresses and one Mirage III. However, after the successful attack on Rigley Airbase, the number of large-scale bombing raids decreased and he was to gain no further kills with the Mig-21.

On 29/11/2004, he was transferred to a squadron of F-4 Phantom II's. On the 31/11/2004, his squadron was one of the many ISAF squadrons flying over the Comona Island Rocket Base. In the resulting melee, he was to down a further two Mig-21 Fishbeds and one B-2 Spirit.

His squadron was assigned to flying rhubarb sorties against the Erusian occupied mainland and although he failed to obtain any further kills, he was decorated for exceptional courage in the face of the enemy. He was also injured in his shoulder and temporarily removed from flying duties. He would not resume flying until 2/2/2005.

Back in the sky, he continued to fly rhubarb sorties against Erusian targets. During this time, he was to down the Erusian ace Henry Baker, who was flying an F-5E Tiger II.

On the 20/2/2005, his squadron was involved with an attack against the San Salvacion railway depot. The Yellow squadron bounced them and it is believed that Yellow 4 fired the missile that downed Lieutenant Nguyen Kovaleski. Sucessfully ejecting from his aircraft, Nguyen was captured and spent the rest of the war as a POW.

After the war, Nguyen became a best-selling fantasy author. His books include the highly regarded _Wings of a dream_ trilogy and _Sky Castles_.

Lieutenant Nguyen Kovaleski is approximately five foot two is described as having short black hair and brown eyes. He is of mixed-race origin. He is often described as having an upbeat personality and forever bouncing on his toes.

AN: Sorry for the delay guys, but I'm afraid my muse has been kept busy by my (Somewhat daft) idea to participate in a challenge competition.


	12. Captain Jamal Richards

Disclaimer: Wish I did own Ace Combat, then I'd be a LOT richer. Sadly, that's not the case.

AN: I've borrowed the name of this pilot from the fanfic writer Razgriz Leader. Thanks for your permission to use this guy.

Captain Jamal Richards: Strike first, strike hard!

Captain Jamal Richards's military career began on 20/7/1990, when he joined the Osean Maritime Defence Force. After basic training, he applied for pilot training and sucessfully passed the selection process.

After flight training, he was assigned to a squadron of A-6 Intruder's, flying off of the Osean supercarrier Enterprise.

Flying regular training missions, it wasn't until 12/3/1994 that he was to finally see combat, when his carrier battle group joined the Belkan war. Deployed from the Enterprise, his squadron was deployed to attack targets on the Belkan mainland. Although he didn't obtain any kills on these missions, he was decorated for valour twice.

On the 11/4/1994, his aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire over a Belkan weapons factory. Evading capture, he was able to escape and return to allied forces after several weeks on the run from Belkan forces.

After a period of refresher training, he was returned to combat duties. He was on his way back to the carrier after a raid when he was ordered to land at land airbase. A Belkan submarine had sunk the Enterprise. (Believed to be U-56, but this was never confirmed.) For the rest of the conflict, he was to fly his Intruder from this makeshift base.

When the Belkan war ended, he was given an honourable discharge from the Osean military and was immediately offered a job with the mercenary company Axe and Hammer Industries. He accepted and was assigned to a squadron of Su-22 Fitters.

Involved in several minor conflicts, he gained his first aerial victory flying against a group known as the Golden Blades. A member of the organisation was flying an F-5E Tiger II against civilian airliners. Jamal's squadron was one of many that had been assigned to destroy this fighter. Spotting the F-5 attacking an airliner with its cannon, he bounced the hostile F-5E and fired an R-60 missile into its tailpipe. The pilot went down with his aircraft and his remains were never recovered.

As the Stonehenge conflict continued to grow, Jamal's squadron was despatched to the frontlines of the conflict on 28/8/2004, flying missions against Erusian supply lines. In this role, he was to down four Mi-24 Hind E's, six A-10 Warthogs and one Su-7 Fitter.

On the 21/9/2004, Jamal's squadron was assigned to provide aerial defence of North Point, as the Erusian's attempted to bomb ISAF into submission. In this role, he was to down a further six Tu-95 Bears, four B-52 Stratofortresses and two Mig 21 Fishbeds.

After the destruction of Rigley Airbase, Jamal's squadron was assigned to fly rhubarb missions against the Erusian forces. Re-equipped with Su-24 Fencers, his squadron soon gained a reputation for excellence in the ground attack role. Jamal himself was decorated for valour twice and was to down eight F-5E's and one F-16 Falcon during this time.

On the 23/11/2004, Jamal was a part of the forces that attacked Comberth harbour. Shot down by anti-aircraft fire, he was captured by the Erusian forces. During transit, he was able to escape when the train he was travelling in was derailed by an ISAF attack.

Although he sucessfully contacted the resistance, he was unable to rejoin ISAF forces until the 30/1/2005. After a period of refresher training, he was reassigned to a squadron of Tornado Gr4's.

This time, his squadron was assigned to provide tactical bombing support for the advancing ISAF forces. In this role, he was to down two Ka-50 Hokum's and three A-10 Warthogs.

On the 22/2/2005, he was performing what was meant to be an ordinary sortie. As the attack started, the Yellow squadron bounced the attacking fighters. Evading the initial attack, Jamal turned to face his attackers. Pulled into a turning fight with Yellow 13, he was unable to match his opponent for manoeuvrability and Yellow 13 ended up on Jamal's tail. Firing his cannon, Yellow 13 downed Jamal's aircraft. This time, Jamal went down with his aircraft.

Jamal is described as having short black hair and light brown skin. He was five foot tall precisely and is described as being an open and generous individual.


	13. Sergeant Alex Bond

Disclaimer: See ch1

AN: In an anonymous review I received it came to my notice that some of my readers were confused by the date system I use in this fic. In the American system (where I presume my mystified reviewer comes from.) the date is portrayed as month/day/year, so the date 12/3/1994 would be December the third. I use the English/European system of day/month/year however and so the date 12/3/1994 would be the twelfth of March. I hope this clears things up.

Sergeant Alex Bond: Mobius One's first wingman.

Sergeant Alex Bond military career began when he joined the North Point Air Force on the 1/9/2004. Due to the pressing need for pilots, he was accelerated through his basic training. Selected for fighter pilot training, he proved to be an exceptionally competent pilot and was posted to a squadron of F-4 Phantom II's.

On the 19/9/2004, he was to obtain his first aerial victory. His squadron was intercepting an Erusian bombing raid against Allenfort Airbase and in the confusion following the interception, he was separated from his wingman Mobius One. An Erusian Mig 21 Fishbed bounced him and the enemy fighters cannon fire damaged his aircraft, but he was able to jerk his aircraft up and away from the Erusian fighter. As the Mig attempted to follow him, it overshot Alex's fighter and he fired his 20mm Vulcan, tearing the fighter from the sky. The pilot, Sergeant Glen Rin, sucessfully ejected from his aircraft and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp. He also downed a Tu-95 Bear during the interception.

The squadron continued to fly air defence duties until the 5/10/2004, during which time he was to down no fewer than three more Tu-95 Bears and one Mirage III.

On 5/10/2004, Alex's squadron was assigned to flying attack sorties against Erusian targets on the mainland, starting with an attack on Rigley Airbase. He was to down four Mig 21 Fishbeds, two Mirage III's and two F5E Tiger II's with his F-4 Phantom II before the squadron re-equipped with F-16 Falcons on 30/11/2004.

On 7/12/2004, his squadron was involved with intercepting the Erusian Air Corridor of Comberth Harbour. He was to down three C-5 Galaxy's and one F/A-18C Hornet.

On the 16/12/2004, a rookie pilot flying a Tornado GR4 shot him down. While diving to attack a group of solar panels, his aircraft was bounced by Lieutenant Shreena Chang. She fired an AIM-9 Sidewinder into his aircraft and he was forced to eject. For the next three weeks, he evaded capture by the Erusian forces and made his way back to North Point. After a period of refresher training, he returned to combat duties as Mobius One's wingman once more, this time flying F/A-18 Hornets.

When he returned to his squadron, he was involved with training rookie pilot's combat manoeuvres in preparation for the ISAF landings on the mainland. It is about this time that he was involved with a physical incident with his superior officer and was reduced from Lieutenant to Sergeant.

On 24/1/2005, his squadron was finally deployed in the role of providing close air support for the ISAF landings. On the day of the landings, he was able to down one A-10 Warthog and two Mi-24 Hind F's. The squadron was to continue to fly close air support duties for the advancing ISAF forces until 14/3/2005, where he assisted Mobius One in escorting a pair of civilian airliners carrying the Stonehenge engineers. On this mission, he was to down three Mig 29 Fulcrums'.

It was after this defection that the squadron began training for an attack on Stonehenge. (They were not the only squadron doing this. Several squadrons were training for this attack, but in the event only two squadrons were actually involved with the attack. The other squadrons were decoys designed to confuse Erusian military intelligence.)

On 2/4/2005 the ISAF attack was launched. Flying in low to avoid detection, the ISAF attack hit Stonehenge with lethal efficiency. During the attack, he engaged the Erusian defenders and downed one F-16 Falcon and one Mirage 2000.

As the ISAF attackers left, the Yellow squadron intercepted them. Yellow 11 fired an R-77 missile at Alex, but he evaded it. Yellow 4 fired a second R-77 missile at his aircraft and this missile tore his fighter out of the sky. He was killed instantly and went down with his aircraft.

Sergeant Alex Bond is described as a short man with vivid red hair and green eyes. His companions describe him as a difficult man to like, with a fierce temper.

AN: I've been thinking about Mobius One's legend and it occurred to me that in the game it may only cover a fraction of the missions Mobius One flew for practical reasons and instead provided examples and the major missions he was involved in. (As well as an exaggerating his reputation as a result of propoganda.)


	14. Lieutenant Edward Swan

Disclaimer: Ace Combat would not be moving to the real world if I owned it.

Sergeant Edward Swan: ISAF fascist.

Lieutenant Edward Swan's military career began on 11/9/2004 when he was forced to choose between military service and a jail sentence by a North Point judge. He chose military service and because of his flying experience, was sent to fighter pilot training. ISAF was desperately short of trained pilots at the time and so, his training was cut short. Upon the completion of his training, he was sent to a squadron of Mig 27 Floggers and assigned to air defence duties.

It was in this role that he obtained his first aerial victory on the 15/9/2004. Climbing to 20,000 feet, his flight of three aircraft spotted the approaching Erusian bombers below them and dived. Firing his two R-73 missiles into one of the Tu-95 Bears, he continued to dive and evaded being shot down by the bombers escorts. (His two wingmen attempted to stay and were shot down. Lieutenant David Dylan and Sergeant Winston Downing both went down with their aircraft.) The crew of the bomber successfully bailed out and was picked up by North Point air/sea rescue services.

He continued to down aircraft using this hit and run tactic and was to successfully down a further three Tu 95 Bears and one Tu 16 Badger. After the ISAF attack on Rigley Airbase, the Erusian bombing raids almost completely ceased and he was to obtain no further kills.

On the 21/11/2004, he was involved with a pub brawl and sentenced to one week in a military stockade. Upon his return, the squadron was re-equipped with Mig-29 Fulcrums but it wasn't until the 31/11/2004 that he was to use the aircraft in combat.

Flying above Comona Island Rocket base, he was to down two F-14 Tomcats and was able to claim half a Mirage 2000. The other half of the kill was attributed to Lieutenant Joseph Putt, who was flying an F/A-18 Hornet. However, because Lieutenant Joseph Putt was black, Edward refused to acknowledge his involvement. This was one of several incidents between the two men that would continue throughout the war.

Edward's squadron continued to fly aerial defence duties until the 28/2/2005, where his squadron was sent to attack the Tango line. He was to down one Mi-24 Hind E and one Harrier. Afterwards, his squadron was assigned to flying tactical bombing missions in support of the ISAF's advance. In this role, he was to down a further eight Harriers and two F-16 Falcons.

Although his squadron was selected to fly against Stonehenge, Edward was not meant to be involved with the attack. However, one of the pilots who was meant to be flying the mission became ill with measles and Edward took over as the reserve pilot.

During the attack, his aircraft was damaged by ground fire. Although the damage was light, it did damage his threat warning alarm system. As he pulled up from his attack on the Stonehenge facility, an R-77 missile fired at long range by Yellow 4 hit him. Badly damaged, he was able to pull his aircraft up before successfully ejecting from his aircraft. He was captured by Erusian forces and was a POW until the 10/7/2005, when he was liberated by the ISAF invasion of San Salvacion.

After a period of refresher training, he was sent back to his former squadron, in time for the closing days of the conflict. The squadrons role had not changed and he was to down two F/A-18 Hornets before the conflicts end.

After the war, Edward went into politics. He joined the North Point National Front party and was the parties presidential candidate for the 2007 elections. Despite an extensive campaign, he failed to


	15. Lieutenant Mei Jiang

Disclaimer: Don't own, so please sue someone else.

Lieutenant Mei Jiang: The angel.

Lieutenant Mei Jiang's military career began on 20/5/2004 when she joined the Resar Air Defence force. She passed through basic training with ease and was recommended for fighter pilot training.

Completing her fighter pilot training, Mei was posted to a squadron of Mig 21 Fishbeds just before the beginning of the Stonehenge conflict. Thrown into battle, she was to obtain her first aerial victory on 11/8/2004 when her squadron was scrambled to intercept an incoming Erusian attack. Her squadron was caught up in a melee with Erusian fighters and an Erusian F-5E Tiger II attacked her tail with her cannon. Mei Suddenly cut her speed (A manoeuvre that easily could have proved fatal.) The Erusian fighter overtook her and slid into her sights. She fired her 23mm cannon and the enemy fighter was knocked out of the sky. The pilot, Lieutenant Delores Hearn, sucessfully ejected and was captured by ISAF forces.

Over the course of the next month, she was to down a further two F-5E's and one Mig-23 Flogger. She was also shot down once and narrowly avoided capture by Erusian forces. She was interviewed about her escape by the press and was described by the interviewing reporter as 'an angel of the Resar forces.' The name stuck and she quickly became known as The Angel of Resar.

As the squadron retreated to bases on North Point, they were assigned to aerial defence duties as the Erusian's began their strategic bombing campaign against North Point. In this role, she was to down six Tu-16 Badgers, two Su-22 Fitters and one Su-25 Frogfoot.

On 5/12/2004, her squadron was re-equipped with Mig 29 Fulcrums and after a period of familiarisation, they were involved in the attack on the Erusian air corridor on 7/12/2004. On this attack, she was to down two F-16 Falcons and one C-5 Galaxy.

Assigned to fly rhubarb sorties, she was to down a further two F-5E Tiger II's, eight Mig 21 Fishbeds and two F-14 Tomcats. She was also mentioned in despatches on four separate occasions.

Mei's first encounter with the Yellow squadron happened during the attack on Comona Island Rocket Base. Yellow 13 bounced her fighter while she attacked another Erusian fighter and she only avoided being shot down because Yellow 13 ran out of ammunition.

Shaken, she continued to fly rhubarb sorties against Erusian targets for another two weeks and sucessfully downed three Tornado GR4's and one F/A-18 Hornet. She was temporarily relieved of duty however on medical grounds after fellow pilots noted that her behaviour in combat was becoming more and more reckless.

Mei was eventually allowed to return to duty in time for operation Bunker Shot and downed two Mi-24 Hinds and one F-15 Eagle during that mission. After that, her squadron was assigned to tactical bombing missions in support of the advancing ISAF forces. In this role, she was to down eight more F-16 Falcons and two Su-27 Flankers.

On 2/4/2004, she was involved in the Stonehenge attack. As she attacked one of the Stonehenge pylons, she was hit by ground fire from the nearby AAA emplacements and her plane was damaged. As they left, an R-77 missile fired by Yellow 13 hit her plane and she went down with her plane.

Lieutenant Mei Jiang is described as charming woman, who was extremely loyal to her friends. Her eyes have been described as a dark brown and her face is described as oval.

AN: Where have my reviewers gone for this fic? Please don't favourite without reviewing.


	16. Lieutenant William Pattern

Disclaimer: No, of COURSE I don't own.

Lieutenant William Pattern: Cossack bane.

Lieutenant William Pattern's military career began on 7/3/2001 when he joined the Delarus Islands Air Force. After basic training, he was recommended for fighter pilot training.

During fighter pilot training, he was to be involved with a serious accident that was to cost the life of a fellow trainee. The resulting inquest discovered was largely responsible for the accident and was given a dishonourable discharge. For the next few years, William was to drift from job to job and travelled across the Usean continent desperately applying for flying jobs as he travelled. However it was not until 11/9/2004, with the Stonehenge conflict in full swing and ISAF was in desperate need of fighter pilots that he was accepted back into the Delarus Islands Air Force.

After a brief training period, he was posted to Rigley Airbase, flying F-5E Tiger II's against the advancing Erusian forces. On the 15/9/2004, he was to obtain his first aerial victory. His patrol (consisting of only two fighters.) spotted a couple of Erusian transports that had become separated from their fighter escorts. Identifying them as AN-225 Cossack's, he dived and fired an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile into the lead aircraft. However, this did not do sufficient damage to down the aircraft and he fired a second missile. This one successfully finished the aircraft. His wingman successfully downed the other AN-225 Cossack.

The success of their interception was overshadowed by the fact that Erusian commando's successfully attacked Rigley as they landed. A mortar shell exploded on the nose of William's aircraft and the resulting crash resulted in William ending up in hospital, unfit for flying duties, until the 18/3/2005.

After a brief refresher training period, William was assigned to a squadron of F-16 Falcon's, flying close air support for the ISAF invasion forces. In this role, he was to down five A-10 Warthog's and two Mi-24 Hind F's. He was also decorated for exceptional courage under fire.

On 17/6/2005, his squadron was re-equipped with F/A-18 Hornets and was assigned to provide air support to the ISAF landings in the Northern part of the mainland, operating from the aircraft carrier Intrepid. Although he was unable to down any Erusian aircraft, he was to down eight cruise missiles fired at the landing site.

As the ISAF advance continued and the beachhead was secured, the squadron once more returned to land-based operations. The squadron was assigned to close air support duties once more and in this role, he was able to down four Ka-50 Hokum's, two Su-35 Flanker's and one Tu-160 Blackjack.

On the 19/9/2005, he was one of the many pilots involved with the ISAF invasion of the Erusian capital Farbanti. Attacking various targets of importance, he was still able to down one F-15C Eagle. He was on his way back to base when he encountered the Yellow squadron. An R-77 missile fired by Yellow 13 hit his aircraft and William was forced to abandon his aircraft. Retreating Erusian forces captured him, however the commander of the battalion in question chose to surrender his battalion to William and William Pattern became the only ISAF pilot to take a battalion prisoner.

After the war, Lieutenant William Pattern stayed in the air force and is currently serving in the squadron of F/A-18 Hornet's that he was in at the end of the war.

Lieutenant William Pattern is described as being a very solem and humourless individual, with short red hair and red eyes. At his air force medical, he was measured as five foot three.


	17. Sergeant Lyra Williams

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

Sergeant Lyra Williams: The unlucky ace.

Sergeant Lyra Williams military career began on 21/4/2003 when she joined the North Point Air Force. After basic training, she was placed into fighter pilot training. On her first solo flight in a fast jet, her Hawk trainer aircraft suffered a bird strike and was severely damaged. Although she was advised to eject, Lyra was able to successfully land the aircraft.

After completing her fighter pilot training, she was posted to a squadron of F-4 Phantom II's, flying aerial interceptions from Allenfort Air Force Base.

When the Stonehenge conflict began, her squadron was one of two squadrons left to defend North Point. It wasn't until ISAF forces retreated to North Point that her squadron finally saw action.

On the 17/9/2004, her squadron was sent out on its first live interception. Owing to a mechanical fault, Lyra's fighter was only armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.

Approaching a Tu-95 Bear, she locked a missile onto the bomber and fired. At precisely the same time, a chunk of metal flew off of the bomber she was approaching and by an incredible fluke, slammed into the incoming missile. To add insult to injury, the resulting debris from the explosion damaged Lyra's fighter so badly that she was forced to eject from her aircraft. Unfortunately, she was to injure herself on landing and was forced to spend the next two months in hospital. The bomber is believed to have returned safely to base.

By the time she returned to her squadron, they had re-equipped with F/A-18 Hornets and were flying rhubarb sorties against Erusian bomber bases. It was during one of these raids that she was to obtain her first aerial victory.

An Erusian Mig-21 Fishbed attempted to bounce her fighter from above, diving on her fighter with his cannon blazing. Although the pilot did hit her aircraft, she pulled a tight circle and fired an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile into the enemy fighter's tail. The pilot, Leiutenant Raymond West, successfully ejected from his aircraft. A few minutes later, she was to successfully down another Mig-21 Fishbed.

On 30/11/2004, her squadron was involved in the Comona Island Rocket Base battle and she was to down three F-16 Falcons and one Su-27 Flanker. However, her aircraft was unfortunate enough to be hit by a falling bomb from one of the B-2 Spirit bombers. The bomber had dumped its payload in an attempt to escape and by sheer chance, one of the falling bombs hit the wing of Lyra's aircraft. She was able to make an emergency landing on Comona Island.

Between the 31/11/2004 to 24/1/2005, Lyra's squadron proceeded to attack Erusian targets in preparation for the ISAF landings. During this time, she was to down four Mig-29 Fulcrums and two Tornado F3's.

On 24/1/2005, the ISAF landings took place and Lyra's squadron was reassigned to tactical bombing missions. This was to continue right up until the ISAF invasion of the city of Farbanti. During this time, Lyra was to down eleven Su-27 Flankers, two Mig-21 Fishbeds, eight F-15C Eagles and one C-130 Hercules.

Lyra's aircraft was returning to base to re-arm and refuel when the Yellow squadron arrived on the battlefield. An R-77 missile fired by Yellow six hit her aircraft and she was forced to eject from her aircraft.

After the war, she attended North Point Central University and obtained a degree in advanced materials chemistry. She currently works as a research scientist for the North Point Department of Advanced Body Armour.

Lyra is described as having short brown hair, brown eyes and a long narrow face with freckles. She is four foot two and is described as having a cheerful sense of humour and somewhat clumsy.

AN: Only one pilot left to go!


	18. Colonel Steven Bradford

Disclaimer: Don't own.

AN: This pilots name is derived from two men who I know and respect personally.

Colonel Steven Bradford: The Navy Mobius One.

Colonel Steven Bradford's military career began on 30/5/2000 when he joined the Delarus Islands Naval Air Service. Quickly passing through basic flight training, his exceptional reflexes meant that he was recommended for fighter pilot training. After completing his fighter pilot training, he was posted to the aircraft carrier Invincible, flying F-4 Phantom II's.

On 6/2/2004, he was one of five naval officers who represented the Delarus Navy in the Annual Inter-services Tae-Kwon-Do tournament. However, the Stonehenge conflict started shortly before the tournament was due to happen and the tournament was postponed until the cessation of hostilities.

Operating from the Invincible and its surrounding fleet, Steven's squadron was assigned to flying combat air patrols over the fleet. However, the Delarus Islands refused to commit their naval forces to the defence of Stonehenge, believing that other ISAF state members were better placed to support the defence of Stonehenge. To make the situation worse, due to a mix up in their orders, the Invincible was assigned to waters that were five days sailing from the Delarus Islands. As a result, when the Erusians landed on the Islands, the carrier was unable to intervene at the time.

It wasn't until 21/8/2004 that he finally encountered an Erusian military aircraft. A squadron of C-130 Hercules was supplying an Erusian paratrooper regiment that had captured a part of the final island in the chain. Firing an AIM-7 Sparrow at a C-130 Hercules at maximum range, the missile knocked the wing of the transport off and the plane went down. The crew failed to escape from their aircraft.

From that point on, Steven's squadron was heavily involved with providing air support for the retreating ISAF forces and his kill record rapidly grew. During this time, he was to down eight A-10 Warthogs, four AH-64 Apaches, two Saab-35 Drakens and one British Aerospace Jetstream T1.

On the 5/10/2004, his squadron was involved in an attack on Rigley Airbase and his aircraft was damaged by ground fire. He was however, able to down a Mig-21 Fishbed. For the next few months, his squadron was assigned to rhubarb sorties against the Erusian forces occupying the Usean mainland. In this role, he was to down six Mig-23 Floggers, five Mirage IIIs and one UTVA Aero 3 trainer.

On the 23/11/2004, his squadron was involved in the successful attack on Comberth Harbour. It was during this attack that he was wounded in the shoulder and temporarily suspended from flying duties. When he returned, his squadron had re-equipped with F/A-18 Hornets and the squadron was assigned to provide tactical bombing duties in support of the ISAF landings. In this role, he was to down four Mi-24 Hinds and six F-15C Eagles.

On 4/5/2005, he became the second ISAF pilot to down a Yellow squadron aircraft. His opponent, Yellow 14, was killed instantly when cannon shells penetrated his cockpit window.

Shortly after this victory, Steven was sent on a morale boosting tour of North Point cities. Having thoroughly broken the myth of Yellow superiority, he was highly praised as a hero; although to a much lesser extend than Mobius One.

On the 4/5/2005, he was allowed to return to active service, where he discovered that his new reputation meant that his skills were vastly exaggerated. As a result, his squadron was given increasingly difficult missions deep inside Erusian territory, launching from forward land bases. Fortunately, at this stage of the war, the Erusian air defence network was considerably weakened. During these missions, he was to down a further two F-16 Falcon's and one Mig-29 Fulcrum.

On 10/9/2005, Steven's squadron was returned to their carrier and rested in preparation for the invasion of Farbanti. After a well-earned rest and training period, the Invincible was sent to the waters outside Farbanti and on 19/9/2005, the invasion began. Colonel Steven Bradford led his squadron against the submarine bays just outside the city and was involved in the successful destruction of the Erusian submarine Asgard IV. He also downed two Su-37 Terminators and one Mi-28 Havoc.

When the Yellow Squadron arrived over the city, he was climbing away from an attack and was unfortunate enough to fly into the sights of Yellow 6. Yellow Six fired a burst from his 30mm canon and knocked Steven's Hornet out of the sky. Although Steven successfully ejected from his aircraft, he was injured and was forced to spend the next month in hospital.

Colonel Steven Bradford remains in the Delarus Islands Naval Air Service to this day and recently represented the Delarus Islands at the Olympic games in the Tae-Kwon-Do sparring events.

Colonel Steven Bradford is approximately five foot two and has short grey-blonde hair. He is described as having a hard temper, but generally likeable.


End file.
